Daan'D
Arbiter of the Immaculate Complaint Capricious and rebellious was Daana’d, the Immaculate of Water, a maiden from the Far West. Although many claim that their arrogant refusal to obey is in emulation of this Immaculate Dragon, the rebellious ways of Daana’d were not the result of such blind vanity. Rather, Daana’d understood the need within each being to be wholly sufficient within itself. She bowed her head to none, for those who wished her to do a thing were not enlightened until they did a thing themselves. Likewise, she did not seek for others to do things on her behalf, for she was the very embodiment of capability. Although the Anathema sought to lure her into their thrall, she spurned them, eschewing the seductions they laid before her. She turned aside all offers of power and wealth, asking what followers of Daana’d call the Question of Virtue: “If I did not gain these things on my own virtue, do they have worth?” In all cases, the answer is a resounding No. When the Anathema were thrown down, it was Daana’d who swam to the bottom of the deepest sea to lock away the gate to the Underworld, preventing them from returning to trouble the world of man. Her followers teach that, in this action, she taught true freedom: the freedom of dependence upon the cycle of death and rebirth to enlighten one. Instead, the freedom-loving and self-sufficient seeker might find their enlightenment here and now. Daana’d’s mon is the Crashing Wave That Swallows, symbolic of the plunge one must take in accepting full responsibility for oneself, without reliance on others. EMULATING DAANA’D Mortals seek in Daana’d the inspiration for self-sufficiency. They understand this is not selfishness—those in need are not ignored. In fact, the truly enlightened seeker tries to inspire others to self-sufficiency, aiding them where they are weak, that they may depend on themselves in the future. Dragon-Blooded who truly follow Daana’d understand all of the riches in the world are nothing before the ability to do for oneself. Those who truly seek to embody her Essence should work toward self-suffi ciency as complete as possible. Daana’d’s teachings are considered vital for Wateraspected Dragon-Blooded to overcome their faults, for their elemental nature inclines them toward dependence on social interaction and chains of command. THE UNMANLY BABBLER The Antithesis of Daana’d is the Unmanly Babbler who depends on others to do everything for him and finds his worth only in the praise of others. He cannot solve his own problems, and whines until others do it for him. He cannot see that the true answer to every problem lies in his own Essence. PARAGON OF DAANA’D The Paragon of Daana’d is expected to oversee the pursuit of liberation and self-fulfillment in the lives of the righteous. This duty, which names the Paragon of Daana’d as “The Most Capable and Liberated,” is a difficult one, for it applies not only to the individual, but to the Immaculate Order as well. It is the Paragon of Daana’d’s responsibility to make sure that the Immaculate Order does not become too reliant on any outside force, lest it find itself either beholden to another or in danger when something happens. That the disappearance of the Scarlet Empress did not do more damage to the Immaculate Order is directly traceable to this endeavor by successive Paragons of Daana’d. The Paragon of Daana’d is also a seeker of social justice. If public censure by the Immaculate Order isn’t sufficient to curb the whims of a tyrannical or incompetent prefect or governor, the followers of this Paragon instigate “The Blossoming of Sorrowful Violence.” This act is an uprising led by the Immaculate monks of a local monastery, maintained until reparations are made to those the lord has harmed, at which point the monks return to their peaceful lives. In many ways, the Paragon of Daana’d seeks two things for the common man: * make certain that the people know enough to carry on their adherence to the Immaculate Philosophy in the absence of a monk * to institute social justice on their behalf. As such, many monks who follow this Paragon are considered rabble-rousers and troublemakers, but are careful to remember that order is what the Dragons built. It is considered irresponsible to rise up against a social order without a plan for a better one. The current Paragon of Daana’d is Bride of Justice, an older Water-aspected woman. Her once-fiery anger at the Great Houses—a result of being born an outcaste—has cooled into a calm determination to see that those responsible for the Realm’s social ills are held up to public accountability for their part in such. She is notorious for her public declamations against important government figures and their excesses. The elders of House Cynis have expressed their dislike of Bride of Justice on more than one drunken occasion.